More Summer Must Reads

Now for the summer recommendation for young adults:

The must-read series for older kids is The Lunar Chronicals by Maissa Meyer. In the first book, Cinder has a way with machines. She’s a gifted mechanic because she’s had to learn to deal with herself – she’s a cyborg. Among other things she has an artificial foot and her mean step mother hasn’t allowed her to spend the money to replace it since she was about 11, so it’s too small. Sound familiar? It should, but there are some clever twists. One day, a young man brings an adroid to her booth for her to repair. He has his sweatshirt hood pulled up over his head and when it falls down, it is none other than the hunky young prince.

While a deadly plague ravages Earth's population, the Lunar people watch from space. Cinder, and eventually her crowd of cronies, is caught trying to save the world by uncovering her past.

Cinder is a great read that twists a familiar fairytale. It is followed by Scarlet, Cress, and Winter, all of which add other fairytale favorites in this futuristic fantasy. If, after finishing the series, you can’t get enough (and I know several people who couldn’t get enough!) there’s Fairest, which gives you the background on Queen Levana, and Stars Above, which is a collection of short stories involving the same characters.

 

Also due out in the fall is Heartless, the story of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. It's not a continuation of the series, but a stand-alone that promises to be just as captivating.

Summer Must Reads

With summer vacation only weeks away, I’m going to recommend my favorite reads from this year:

First, for my middle grade followers, the must-read series for the summer is the Tupelo Landing series by Sheila Turnage. The series starts with Three Times Lucky, a Newbery Honor Winner. The main character Mo LoBeau, whose life itself is one big mystery, ends up trying to solve her small town’s first murder. She feels she must since her best friend Dale is the chief suspect.

The book is stocked with marvelous supporting characters: The Colonel (who may or may not be a colonel) and Miss Lana, who took in Mo 11 years ago when she washed up in hurricane; Attila Celeste, the girl Mo hates most in 6^th grade; and Grandmother Miss Lacy Thornton.

The first mystery is followed by The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing  and The Odds of Getting Even.  All are pure entertainment from start to finish. The stories run the gammut of emotions from funny to tear jerking. They are guaranteed page-turners you won’t put down.